Working Jill is a photographic conceptual series that represents there is a notion of humor about a very serious subject still seemingly controversial today. Equal pay for women in the same jobs as men.
Misogyny and sexism are rampant and I believe society is at a turning point to choose different behavior towards women — to value the intelligence, strength and power found in women everywhere.
On one hand, this series presents snapshots of the difficulties of working hard in jobs and professions where one must work for someone else (“Working for The Man”). The working person has no personal freedom, no real autonomy, no real vision or creative freedom to exercise their own passion and insight. These working people are often underpaid and overruled. Yet, with self-determination and even self-actualization one might begin to see a path to personal freedom. Personal dignity in any job is important; so is getting paid a healthy wage AND equality AND respect. This is a revolutionary idea that everyone has something to contribute to society and that those individual contributions contribute to a larger wealth that values people as human beings. That one can be paid well for doing good, honest, self-directed even creative work. Not millions of dollars for those ruling at the top and scraps for everyone else.
Working Jill presents a tragic, humorous vision of what, at the surface, looks to be just tough work, and tougher working realities in our society today, but then belies the undercurrents to our financial economy, sexist tensions and all of its humanity and drawbacks. [Official Website] [Model: Beth Dodge / Instagram: @beth.nicole.dodge ]
